Shir, I'm sorry if I upset you; I didn't mean to. That particular poem is based on a silly sexual innuendo, not intended to be studied seriously. I was mostly just amused that one of my students sent it to me and understood what it meant. I wasn't trying to make any grander statement than that.

I'm sorry if I upset you

O-oh, I should have lifted my "I'm only (half) kidding!" sign, right?

I'm amused too, and letting some rant out on the way.

Also, to clarify my last post: I didn't mean that subtext is always evil, or that I'm stupid who doesn't get it.

I just like my interpretation to some things better. Even if it's lame.

And now I think I'll let the subject rest again.

Oof, I am tired. Sean, I am glad to know things are going better. What an awful situation.

Hil, nothing bad-ma atcha. I need you to be mathy for me soon!

Pix, I love that your student is emailing "yay, I get it, thanks!" emails to you. How wonderful.

And my new job? Intensely demanding and crazy-busy, but I think I am rocking it like whoa so far. I feel my brain booting back to life after, really, 5 months off in toto. I worked 1 to 11 pm shifts yesterday and today, and work a 9 to 7 pm tomorrow (10 hour weird shifts because of training) and I am trying to wind down before I shower and sleep.

And yo, how did I repress the exciting world of testimony-worthy documentation? Oh...yeah. But it is scarily enough flowing back, in all its exacting, specific, jargon-riddled glory. Word. (And word, and word, and word...)

Now I am able to appruciate this poem.

Phallic symbols, I teach well. Proofreading, nsm.

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I remember when I was 19 and in London for a semester abroad, I had JUST discovered the deeply fascinating world of feminist social views regarding the evils of phallocentrism and how it had ruined MY life. If I let it. (Bad phalli, no cookie!) EVERYTHING was phallic. It became a group joke "Look! A phallus!" and as a result, I have about a million pictures of every spire, obelisk, tower and jutty pointy thing in 90's London, Bath, Dover and Canterbury. Also? Pizza Hut placemats from all of those cities.

Hmm. I didn't get laid ONCE in England. Methinks I was scanning for too many symbolic phalluses and not talking to the people attached to the real ones. How did I end up not laid in England at 19 in 1993? I am ASHAMED of myself.

Back from ER. They said it seemed like nothing -- EKG was "squeaky-clean," and I don't seem to have a blood clot. Official diagnosis on my discharge papers was "palpitations," which was the reason I went in to begin with.

Why is ER so cold? I had to keep my winter jacket on the entire time I was inside.

Snuggling up in blankets and getting to bed now.

(((Hil))) I'm glad you went to the ER and it was nothing serious. You might want to ask your doctor at some point about the numbness possible being a form of a migraine. I get that sometimes when I'm very anxious. Take care.

Sleep and rest~ma, Hil.

Glad to hear the EKG is good. But I hate to think of you being a candidate for a House episode.

This pain induced insomnia is really for the birds. I don't know how y'all who deal with it regularly cope so well without utterly giving up and/or cutting people.

Last time I went into ER I was post-feverish and tachy (heart rate of 120). The doctor seemed concerned, but a litre of saline seemed to even things out.